1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to personal computer (PC) systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved input/output device for use in a computer system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a modular keyboard that can be easily and quickly configured to suit the needs of a user.
2. Background of the Invention
Many improvements have been developed for computer systems since the introduction of the first systems. One of the areas that has experienced dramatic improvement is the user interface to the computer system, and in particular, the keyboard. Modern system keyboards have greater input capabilities than the keyboards used with earlier computer systems. The early keyboards typically had 83 input keys. To give the user additional options, keyboards with added keys (such as the CONTROL and FUNCTION keys) were introduced. However, the addition of keys to the original keyboard design had certain drawbacks.
Early computer systems required the user to type in memorized commands. For many computer users, memorizing and typing in commands to the computer via the keyboard is awkward and complicated. Because of this problem, additional or alternate data input devices to the keyboard have been developed. One of the most popular of these alternate data input devices is a mouse. To maximize the usefulness of the mouse and to simplify entry of commands into a computer, software vendors have developed graphical user interfaces (GUI's) that implement graphics, special menu technology, and the mouse. One of these graphical user interfaces has been referred to as "WIMP" (which stands for Windows, Icons, Mouse, and Pull-down) menus. The WIMP concept includes windows on the screen, icons, mouse operation, and pull-down menus containing lists of functions. By using a mouse, the user can move a pointer, a cross-hair, or a cursor across the screen. When the user presses the mouse button, she can select items from a menu, mark text in a word processing program, or paint in a drawing program. Other input devices, such as trackballs, joysticks. touch pads, to name a few, were also developed to provide easier control over the computer's operations.
Each input device must connect to the computer system, typically via an electrical cable. The connections to the computer system are often to connectors mounted in the back panel of the chassis. Connecting cables to the rear portion of a chassis can be extremely awkward and cumbersome. The chassis, for example, may be located under a desk or table or up against a wall, thereby making access to the chassis' back panel difficult. In such situations, the user must pull the computer chassis out from under the desk or away from the wall to provide sufficient access to the connectors on the back panel. Even if the chassis can be moved, the user may still have difficulty accessing the connectors on the back of the chassis. Computer system connectors are usually keyed or are constructed with a non-symmetric shape or pin arrangement to ensure cable mates properly with the connector on the back of the chassis. Although keyed connectors are necessary to ensure proper electrical connectivity, such connectors nevertheless exacerbate the user's problem in mating a cable to the back of the chassis in a situation in which the user can hardly reach the back panel connector, much less see it to determine the proper orientation of the cable connector.
Further, the length of the cable connecting an input device to the computer system usually limits where the chassis can be located. In fact, it may not be possible to place the chassis under a table or desk simply because the cable from an input device such as a trackball is not long enough to reach from the top of the table or desk to a chassis placed underneath the desk. The cable associated with the input device thus may require the computer chassis to be located on top of the desk occupying space that the user could otherwise use more efficiently. Additionally, because each input device has a cable connecting it to the computer chassis and a typical computer system may typically include numerous input devices, the cables themselves may get in the user's way, become entangled, and generally be bothersome to the user.
Many keyboards are available with one or more input devices such as trackballs, joysticks, touch pads, and the like. While some users, for example, may prefer a keyboard with a built-in trackball, other users prefer a keyboard with a built-in joystick instead of a trackball. To market computer systems for a large market segment of users, computer and keyboard manufacturers thus must manufacture keyboards that suit the needs of all potential buyers. Accordingly, computer and keyboard manufacturers manufacture differently configured keyboard systems to cover the anticipated needs of potential buyers. Re-tooling a keyboard assembly line or creating multiple assembly lines, however, to manufacture differently computer systems adds to the manufacturing cost, and thus the price, of the computer system.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a computer system in which input devices can easily be connected to the computer system, thereby avoiding many of the problems identified above with previous computer systems. It would also be desirable to provide a keyboard that can be easily configured by manufacturers during assembly without the need for changes to an assembly line.